Black Promises

I can hear it. I can feel it. It’s burning me. It’s meant to be. It is meant to be. The world is not safe for me anymore. I must go. I must leave. I must take this path. The flowers are slowly dying, withering away their last petals onto the cold frozen ground. It’s cold, dark and wet as my exhausted feet make the travel along this red dirt path. I know where I’m going and then I’m also lost. Everything is alive here in this place. It’s magical and wretched at the same time. I love it and I hate it. I’m scared and I’m free. Where am I?

            The flesh hurts and it’s beginning to take a form unlike my own. I can see it move; life forms within a life. I’m unable to control anything that happens. As much as I want to scream, I learn my tongue has been ripped out. I’m a mute and my vision seems to play tricks on me. I see things unnatural that smile at me from behind trees. I see movements that move at the speed of a snail and then at the speed of lightning. I can’t determine if it’s my eyes or if it’s reality. They smile and they invite me into their arms. I want to go. It’s so warm and welcoming. It’s so loving and safe. I want to go. It’s where my heart lures me to be. It’s seductive. I’m spellbound. I’m in love.

            It hurts to breathe. My chest feels constricted and I feel a heavy load on my shoulders. I can feel it’s dragging me down and I can’t figure out why. All I know is that I’m supposed to take this path because it’s my relief from pain. As much as it hurts, as much as I don’t understand it, I’m going. I must finish this task because I’ve made a promise and promises can’t be broken. There’s a price to pay that is heavy and I can’t bear to endure that.

            A soft singing enters my ears and I stop suddenly, breath in and out, skin crawling with fear. A jingling is far away, like an echo that has almost lived its life, enters my soul like a knife penetrating deep. Suddenly, I’m sad, so sad that I can’t begin to understand why. Where is this coming from? Do I dare confront it? Should I face the fear that has me scared? My footsteps have stopped travelling and I’m frozen in time. All around me I hear the sound of wailing, a wailing that is digging into the fiber of my being, making me shake. Suddenly, my eyes fill with tears and I’m not sure why I’m crying. The wailing, it’s a calling, a plea that has me drugged with love and care. I hear it. I can sense it’s for me yet I don’t know why I do not want to embrace it. And then I see it. The truth unveils before me and I see things for what they are.

            Flowers in hues of pink and red slowly perish into an ugly gray of demise and their life falls short onto the dark ground. Bits and pieces of ash fall from the sky, burning me as they land on my flesh, scarring. As I breathe, my breath comes out in a ghastly dark smoke that swirls into a black dust breaking into small particles before me. My hands, oh my hands! They are blue, cold and the flesh is falling off of my bones. I swallow and it hurts because a hand has forced itself upon me. I can’t move. I’m stuck. I’m drowning. I can hear it. It’s breathing behind me; a cold and wet breath that cascades down my back. Then I feel Its tongue on me, full of scales and lies, as It licks me in the ear.

            “Come,” It speaks. “Come. You are mine.” I’m immobile. Awakening in my trance, I am now frozen in time and fear. What do I fear? I fear whatever is holding me in time and keeping me from home. Home. Where is home? It seems so far away and I’m spinning in circles. I look down at myself and realize I have a chain cuffing my wrists. They’re made of human flesh and they bite into my skin, blood already draining from the wounds.

            “Come,” It hisses into my ear. “You are mine.” Obliging the order, I move and I feel the jagged rocks digging into the soles of my feet, cutting, drinking my blood. I can hear the ground swallow up the blood, the life from me as I move. Trembling in fear, I think of my home, my real home. Laughter is a remembered memory and I can’t remember how it is to laugh. When was the last time I laughed? Do I even know how to laugh anymore? Love. When was the last embrace? It was from my mother, telling me to get better, to thrive and to live. It was from her hand on my head, touching every single strand, forcing me to want to get well. Life. It was from the sound of my siblings telling me jokes. Their voices now a blur, like a broken record that has been played too many times. I can’t remember what their voices are like.

            And then in the dark, I hear it. It’s a soft whispering of mumbled words that I can’t decipher but I know it’s directed toward me. I can hear it. I know it’s meant to be for me. I stop walking suddenly and take in a huge breath. My chest hurts and I fall to my knees, the cold ground doesn’t welcome me. It bites my knees and takes my soul. I try to scream and a cold hand covers my mouth. I can feel the evil force upon me and I know I’m no longer home. I know this is no longer what I want. I want to go home. But how do I go back when I’ve come this far?

            “You are mine,” the voice says again. “You promised me. I am now taking what has been given to me.” I shake my head vigorously, sobs tearing from my muffled mouth. I close my eyes and It embraces me; cold and discomfort.

            “Open your eyes,” It says. “Look at me. See me.” I am afraid. But I do as I am told. I expect to see something evil, unnatural. But what I see is a handsome face with soft brown eyes and a gentle smile that reaches my soul. Dark soft hair falls over an eyebrow and I reach to put it back into its place. A smile appears and it tugs at my heart, warming my cold body. I am in love with this man. He’s what I want.

            “I won’t hurt you. Remember? We promised each other,” he says. A laughter bubbles into my throat and I let it out, hearing the sound. I like how it sounds, making me warm. He accepts it and helps me rise to my feet. He offers me his hand and I take it. I take one step and I feel a lash at my back. I gasp in pain and I know my skin has been torn open. I’m shaking and I turn to find him watching me in silence.

            “Help me!” I cry. I feel the lash again and I yelp out in pain. I turn around and there before me, cloaked in black is someone I don’t recognize, completely hidden by a black veil. My back is burning and I feel blood dripping from my open wounds. Who is this person? And then I hear the pounding of drums and the same jingling dances in my ear. It’s soothing and I’m attracted to it.

            “Where are you, my daughter? I’ve come a searching for you, my daughter. The world is unkind and it has taken my daughter to a place that is not human but I’m here. Take my hand and let me guide you back home.” I finally laugh and I am longing to go to this figure cloaked in black. But I find I’m wrapped in chains and can’t move. When I turn to tell him to go with me, I find it’s not him. It has no eyes and a sinister grin with sharp teeth and a forked tongue that is trying to force its way into me. Screaming, I run toward where the figure stands, arms wide open with a bright red cloak. I run and I hear it screeching behind me, calling my name. I’m about to reach the other side when I’m being pulled back. Then I see the earth shatter beneath me and fire sparks up, burning.

            “Immortal life belongs in immortal world. You cannot claim a mortal’s life. Your price will be too much to pay,” the veiled figure says. “I give you a choice. Give her to me and I’ll let you live. Refuse and I shall unleash my powers to rid of you from this place.”

            “Give me your best. The winner shall take her,” It hisses beside me. I’m thrown to the ground where my body is kept trapped by tree roots. It squeezes the life out of me and I watch in agony at the battle before me.

            “Evil one, you know who I am. I am the good, I am the pure, I am the righteous. I’ve come to claim what is rightfully still mine. Release her and I shall give you leniency.”

            It laughs, cocking its head back, a wicked snarl almost. “Here, your powers are worthless. You are worthless. She is mine! If you want her, try to claim her!” The wind has picked up robbing the leaves off the trees. Evil sinister laughter is heard all around as It dances around on tiptoes and I find I am no longer attracted to it. I want to go home. I watch as the Savior, as I call it, comes into view. I can now see the Savior clearly for who he is. A man carrying a sword on his back with a shimmering lifeline attached to his waist. Every step he takes, the ground sparks with life. He’s life and It is death.

            “I’ve said all the good I could say. You refuse to release her. You came onto unwanted territory and took what is not yours to take. You refused to listen to my orders. You refused to obey me. So now I am forced to unleash to you the slayer that I am,” Savior says.

            It laughs. “I had hoped for nothing less.” And then it happens. Blood rains down from the sky and Savior dances through each drop, sword in hand, to dance a battle for my life. It laughs but soon loses a limb. It falls to the ground, eyes stealing into my heart, begging me to ask for mercy. I am weakened by its stare.

            “Do not look at its eyes!” Savior yells. “Break free!” I am smiling at the eyes that I’ve fallen in love with. Then It gets up and takes control of Savior by the neck, lifting him up and away.

            “She is mine! She belongs to me! No one can take her!” It screams. I give in and the trees loosen their hold on me. I stand, wobbling on weak legs, wanting to be with It. I am blinded by love. I see them together; It holding Savior away from me. I stumble forward and Savior sees me.

            “She is not yours for the taking!” Savior says and releases a bright gold sword. With one swing, Savior cuts off Its hand and what bubbles out is gray liquid that scatters into black maggots. I am offended by this and stop walking. Savior whips out a gold chain and with one quick move, makes a hoop out of it and loops it over my waist. When the chain has touched my skin, my heart kicks awake with life and I gasp with breath, real breath. Savior pulls me into his arms and It howls angrily.

            “Heed my warning! The dead cannot love the living. She must return with me and you are to remain in your world. The two worlds cannot clash for it will bring an ungodly portal into our realm. I won’t take your life if you will let her go,” Savior says.

            It laughs and gray blood trickles out. “Never!” And I know what I must do. I walk away from Savior and reach It, a being on its knees, heaving breath with a body made out of bones collected from the dead. Dropping to my knees, I place my hands on its cheeks and It stops crying. Slowly, I see the face come into view; eyes, nose and lips.

            “Do you love me?” I ask.

            “More than you know.”

            “Then do as I ask.”

            “What do you ask of me?” I turn to Savior and he pulls the chain, forcing me on my feet. I’m being pulled to where Savior is. He comes to stand before me and places his sword on Its’ shoulder.

            “You trampled upon earth and seduced a living soul by mistake. You weakened her to your liking so you could take her life. There is a price to pay and if you do not allow her to go back with me, the price is your head. If you allow her to go back with me, you will return home and I will erase the pain from your heart of her. I shall blind her footsteps from you and you shall be free of all pain. This is her request.” I watch as It cries and then It stops looking at me. It drops Its head and Savior picks me up and we fly. The footsteps are washed clean without a trace and I watch as It is sitting down on the blackened ground with no emotion.

            We travel from mountain to mountain, sometimes I am jumping with Savior. Other times, I am flying with him. I realize how far I’ve come from home. I can hear mumbled voices all around me and I don’t know what they are. We face a portal and I realize it’s the other side; it’s life. And then I hear the mumbling and I make out the voices. It’s my mother’s wailing. It’s my sister’s tears. It’s the voice of Savior guiding me back. Savior takes my hand and together we cross the threshold.

            I wake. My throat hurts and I feel as if I’ve walked a thousand miles. My mind is joggled with a black laugh that makes my skin crawl. I hear the sound of bells ringing. I smell incent burning and I hear a voice.

            “Living and dead cannot be together. Let her go for she is not yours to take. Her mother yearns for her and you must obey or the price you pay will be your life. Release her to go back to earth so she can find her body. It is not her time. It is not her time.”